Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[wildriverswolf90]

7 have hatched so far. And I think she accepted my lone australorp chick!

 

[Tripp16]

Scarlett are you sure she hasn't hatched already? I know when Smokey hatched her babies - I couldn't tell until I lifted her up and found them wiggling under her. They were so quiet under her, not even a peep. I thought she had broken an egg when I saw a piece of blue shell - turns out that was the first baby to hatch. The brown egg shell was stuck to her breast feathers or I might not have noticed that one had hatched.

Have you peeked under her? Smokey's babies would hide up under her breast in her wing area - difficult to see them. I counted the number of unhatched eggs to determine how many hatched because I couldn't see them under her and I wasn't loosing a finger trying.

Hang in there - hoping she hatches today for you.

I hadnt before but I did this morning and found nothing but 4 eggs under her. Im starting to get discouraged. Its been day 21 since 10:00 pm last night and its not 9:30 am...... I hope at least one hatches for her sake!

 

[Emptywagon2]

I have a broody that is sitting tight and has been for two weeks now. She is a Nankin mix. I need to move her to a safer next ( it is off the ground about 3 feet).
My questions are:
1) do bantams chicks hatch earlier than 21 days? I want to make sure that I move them before hatch but close enough to the big day that hopefully she will want to stay on the eggs. ( I have tried in the past with no luck..she would get off the eggs & stay off)

2) Is there a way to put up a ramp that the chicks could use safely as young as newly hatched? (I would love to leave her where she is and let her hatch in that nest)

I do have two incubators so I could still hatch the eggs if she doesn't stick after the move... I would sure love for her to do the the raising as my brooder is already filling up with the hatches coming out of the incubators.

Any help or ideas are greatly appreciated!

 

[Glasshen]

I lost one chick and almost lost a second when my hen was in a high nest box. I would move her and the eggs to a lower and enclosed box, so that she might as well be on the eggs since she has nowhere else to go. I used a cardboard box, but took it inside to a large dog crate. If it had been warmer, and I had a small crate, I would have used that and the cardboard box in the coop. Just my ideas. Others know much more, and I hope they will chime in.

 

[bobbieschicks]

If nothing hatches - do you have other 1-3 day old chicks you can put under her? She will sit until those eggs hatch - so you have time to pick some up if you need to. It's been weird weather this winter/spring so far for us -so I wouldn't give up hope yet.

I hadnt before but I did this morning and found nothing but 4 eggs under her. Im starting to get discouraged. Its been day 21 since 10:00 pm last night and its not 9:30 am...... I hope at least one hatches for her sake!

 

[aoxa]

:/
My Ethel is setting on 5 eggs. She clucks her displeasure when I open the door of the box to check on her but today she screeched and bite my hand! She has never done this before. This is the 4'th time she has been broody. I did manage to get her to let me look at 2 eggs this evening and they had movement and the air sacs are getting larger! It is day 21 but we had a streak of very cold days at the beginning of her days so I'm thinking maybe there will be a delay in hatching. She has successfully hatched all but 2 of the eggs I have let her set on so far so I won't get worried for a couple more days!
Scarlett456's Gracie is my Ethel's daughter! I think it is very cool that momma and daughter are broody at the same time and due to hatch the same day! 

Does that happen? The eggs hatch late because it was cold out? My broody went through days of -20 and it's day 23 now.. She is down to one egg. I am sad, as I don't think it will hatch. I ended up washing them before I realized that should not have been done (there was broken egg on them at one point, as well as poo). They developed perfectly until day 20. The three she pushed out on day 21 were fully developed but dead before pipping.

 

[stonykill]

If nothing hatches - do you have other 1-3 day old chicks you can put under her? She will sit until those eggs hatch - so you have time to pick some up if you need to. It's been weird weather this winter/spring so far for us -so I wouldn't give up hope yet.

depends on the hen. Some of mine seem to know when the hatch is a dud, and just leave. Others just never give up.

 

[aoxa]

My broody didn't actually hatch out any eggs yet (so sad!) but we gave her three of the calmest of our 2 week old chicks. They are mottled houdan, and she loves them. Here are some pictures of Janet being mom for the first time. She is still sitting on that one lone egg, though I have very low expectations.

What's that think on mommy's head?

Wow, I know.. A lot of pictures.. I can't get enough of Janet's mothering skills. I am kind of anxious for Janet to decide what she is going to do with the egg. She did push the dead ones out, so either this one is still alive, or she hasn't given up on it yet. Once she decides, I am going to let her take the little ones outside for the first time. It's going to be very nice this week, so it will be the perfect first outing!

 

[aoxa]

I hadnt before but I did this morning and found nothing but 4 eggs under her. Im starting to get discouraged. Its been day 21 since 10:00 pm last night and its not 9:30 am...... I hope at least one hatches for her sake! 

I feel for you Scarlet! I am going through the exact same thing. My broody gave up three and left one under her. I am getting really discouraged.

I put three 2 week old chicks with her, but if not I would have been so sad for her. All that work wasted!

 

[Glasshen]

Beautiful mom and chicks. What cute topknots.